


Tremor

by blondieschick



Category: Benedict Cumberbatch - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2018-04-19 22:10:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4762847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blondieschick/pseuds/blondieschick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is just a bit of Aftershock in Ben's perspective. It's the conversation between Liam and Ben before the proposal.<br/>Enjoy:)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tremor

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven't read Aftershock, don't read this!

Tremor  
I walked down the dark hallway and tried to shut out the sound of Charlotte walking away, my harsh words pressing down on my ears. I had to deal with this once and for all, if left alone Liam would drive a wedge into Charlotte and I’s relationship. I had already lost my child to fate and I wasn’t going to lose Charlotte to Liam. I paused outside the darkened room, I could see the balcony up ahead with Liam was leaning over the railing.  
I felt my hands fist beside me, a sudden rage coming over me at the thought of Liam kissing Charlotte out there in the balcony, his hands roving all over her in that black dress. I tasted bitterness at the back of my throat and it was surprisingly difficult for me to walk forward and resist throwing a punch at Liam’s pretty face, doing it the old way and calling a pistol duel off at dawn.  
I saw Liam’s shoulders tense as if he sensed someone behind him.  
He turned.  
“Charlotte I-” He began in an apologetic tone.  
I saw surprise register on his face as I flicked on the light, he winced as the light hit his eyes and then I saw his face pale and he stepped back.  
“What are you doing here”? He growled, his face now transforming into a scowl.  
He really did hate me. Charlotte had been right.  
I really couldn’t blame him, I had taken Charlotte away from him after all.  
“I’m here to talk to you, man to man”.  
He scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest.  
“What are you going to talk to me about”?  
I just stuck my hands into my pockets. As much as I wanted to hate Liam, he just seemed so young. He just made me remember how I’d been when I was his age- arrogant, cocky and self- assured. I had never been half as handsome though.  
“I’m here to ask you to let Charlotte go”.  
He seemed taken aback.  
“Ask me? Didn’t Charlotte tell you what happened tonight? I kissed her”!  
He threw out the last words as if to wound me, his eyes gleaming maliciously.  
I just shrugged my shoulders.  
“I know she told me. Did you think I’d be surprised”?  
He narrowed his eyes.  
“Then why aren’t you- I don’t know, beating me to a pulp”?!  
I sighed.  
“As much as I want to get violent, it won’t solve anything”.  
He just laughed without humour.  
“Let me guess, she made you promise not to hurt me didn’t she and you don’t have the balls to do it anyway”?  
Damn and we’d been doing so well.  
“Liam I know that this hasn’t been the easiest for you but it’s not like it’s easy for me either”.  
He laughed scornfully.  
“Please don’t expect me to actually feel sorry for you. Charlotte and your pregnant ex may have bought it but I won’t. This may actually come as a shock to you but there are some people who don’t idolise you”.  
I felt myself flinch when he mentioned Sophie and I felt guilt gnaw at me, he was right. I was a terrible person and I didn’t deserve Liam’s pity. It was all my fault, if only I had given Charlotte up and married Sophie then maybe she still would have been pregnant. No I couldn’t think about that. Not yet. His words smarted and I was almost sorry that I had ignored Charlotte when she said that he could get a rise out of anyone.  
“Liam I’m not here to argue. I just wanted to ask you to please let Charlotte go if you ever loved her”. My voice wasn’t as even as I would have liked.  
He stuck his jaw out stubbornly.  
“Oh so now I don’t love her enough? She’s the one who cheated on me!”  
How did he manage to twist words like that? I suppose I’d been as passionate and argumentative in my youth. Age just made you see that getting worked up over everything really wasn’t good for anyone.  
“Liam I’m sure Charlotte has tried to tell you multiple times but your relationship as well as mine, not that it’s any of your business, were well over before anything happened”.  
He scoffed and turned away.  
“Sure that’s so convenient. I just don’t believe it”.  
“Well it’s the truth”.  
“I know you had your eye on her from the beginning. I mean look at her, she must have been like putty in your hands, and she fucking loved you even before she met you”!  
“What”?  
“Finally something you don’t know. She took on that bloody Richie film because you were in it! She was obsessed with you and all your acting techniques”.  
I was silent for a moment trying to process all the information. It did make perfect sense after all, I remembered how quiet she’d been when I’d first met her. She’d been shaking like a leaf when we’d had our first love scene.  
If only she’d known just how beautiful she’d been to me. How I hadn’t been able to sleep without seeing her laid out before me, her lips soft and inviting. No wonder Liam wanted to fight for her, I know that if she ever left me it would just about finish me. I wouldn’t be able to love another the way that I loved her and I was never surer then that the black box in my pocket was the right thing to do.  
“Well did she also tell you that I plan to fight for her no matter what”? He turned and walked closer to me, his arms triumphantly crossed over his chest.  
I nodded. My respect for Liam increased, it was clear that he did love Charlotte and he was fierce enough to fight for her even when the tide was against him.  
“It won’t do you any good though, it will just make you unhappy as well as Charlotte”.  
He just raked his hand through his hair clearly frustrated at my words.  
“God does she tell you everything? I’m surprised she was pretty secretive with me”. He responded, a slightly bitter tone to his voice. His eyes looked sad and I felt sorry for him. I knew how love could hurt.  
“This project means the world to Charlotte, all she wants is for it to work out. You know how hard she works”.  
He nodded and I saw him clench his jaw.  
“God damn it, you love her don’t you”? His voice was low and uneven.  
“Yes I do”.  
He took a breath and uncrossed his arms.  
“How much”?  
My only response was to take out the black velvet box in my pocket and show him.  
His eyes widened in surprise and he was silent for a few moments.  
“Christ I knew were serious but not this serious”.  
I nodded sadly.  
Liam did love Charlotte in his own way but he was too young to see the value in committing to one woman for the rest of his life. He didn’t yet understand that once you met that one woman you wouldn’t want any other woman the same way again. I had thought that Sophie could be that one but as soon as I’d met Charlotte it was never the same again.  
I suddenly felt horrible for leaving Charlotte the way that I did? What if she couldn’t forgive me? What if she rejected me and went back to Liam because I had been a jerk? It would be exactly what I deserved.  
I looked back at Liam as his mouth twisted and he grimaced.  
“I guess I’ll just have to live with that”. He put out his hand and for a moment I was taken aback.  
Hesitantly I put my arm out and shook his hand.  
“So you’ll keep your distance”? I asked hesitantly, slightly shocked by his change.  
He nodded.  
I let go and I nodded to him.  
I turned to leave but Liam stopped me.  
“You know if you break her heart I’ll be there right”?  
He was smiling but I saw sadness in his eyes.  
I just nodded and walked out.


End file.
